Dill Pickles Award Winning Recipe

Dill Pickles Award Winning Recipe

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An award-winning dill pickle recipe that balances crunch, tang, garlic, and fresh dill. It’s a classic refrigerator pickle style (quick pickles).

🥒 Award-Winning Dill Pickles

Equipment

  • 6 or 8 Qt. Stockpot with lid (must be non-reactive high-quality 304 or 316Ti stainless steel)
  • Quart-size glass jars with lids (sterilized if canning)
  • 3 Qt. Saucepan for brine

Ingredients (makes ~4 quarts)

  • 3 lbs. pickling cucumbers (3–4 inches long, firm & fresh)
  • 6 cups water (filtered or purified; avoid chlorinated tap water)
  • 2 cups of white distilled vinegar (5% acidity)
  • ½ cup pickling salt (do NOT substitute table salt, iodine clouds brine)
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 4 teaspoons of mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for spicy pickles)
  • 8 fresh dill heads (or 4 tsp dill seed if dill heads unavailable)
  • Grape leaves (optional, 1 per jar, for extra crispness)

Brine

  1. In the 3 Qt. saucepot, combine water, vinegar, and salt.
  2. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat and let the brine cool slightly.

Preparation

  1. Wash cucumbers well, trim ¼ inch off blossom ends (this prevents softening).
  2. Pack whole cucumbers vertically into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.
    • Or slice into Spears (quarters from top to bottom)
  3. Into each jar, add:
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 dill heads (or ½ tsp dill seed)
    • ½ tsp mustard seeds
    • ½ tsp peppercorns
    • 1 grape leaf (if using)
  4. Pour hot brine over cucumbers, leaving ½ inch headspace.
  5. Seal jars with lids.

Options

  • Refrigerator Pickles (Crispiest): Let jars cool to room temp, then refrigerate for at least 48 hours before tasting. Best after 1–2 weeks. Keeps 3 months refrigerated.
  • Canning for Shelf Storage:
    1. Process sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude).
    2. Cool, check seals, store in a cool dark place up to 1 year.

Tips for Success

  • Use pickling cucumbers (Kirby type), not salad cukes.
  • Pick same-day cucumbers if possible, for maximum crunch.
  • Add 1 tsp sugar per jar if you prefer a slightly balanced flavor.
  • The grape leaf trick (or oak/cherry leaves) adds tannins that help maintain crispness.